Surfacing-trowel.



J. B. RUNNER.

SURFAGING TROWEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.19, 1911.

1,021,557. i .Patented Mar.2`6,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. B. RUNNER.

' SURFAGING TROWEL. APPLIOATION FILED sBPT.19, 1911.

Patented Mar.26, 1912.

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coLulllA PLANOGIAPM cu.. WASHINGTON. uA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN 1?.A RUNNER, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOROF THREE-FIFTHS TOEDWARD E. GUNCKEL AND FRANK L. HICKMAN, BOTI-I 0F JAY COUNTY,

INDIANA.

spURFACING-TROWEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application led September `19, 1911. Serial No. 650,113.

To all wz-om t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. RUNNER, a

State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSurfacing.

Trowels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to surfacing trowels to be used in finishing thesurfaces of cement work, such as walks, floors, etc.; and the object ofthe invention is to provide a trowelv of the above character in whichthe trowel blade may be tilted by manipulating the handle so as toimpart the necessary inclination, such as is given the ordinary trowelblade by the operators hand, to impart the smooth finish to the cementsurface.

A further object of the invention is to pro-- A further object of theinvention is to provide a surface trowel for finishing cement surfacesin which the trowel blade pivotally engages the handle so that theposition of the blade may be changed with respect to the handle when thelatter is rotated about its longitudinal aXis, the trowel being furtherprovided with certain means for temporarily securing the blade when -itis desired, to provide a rigid tool, often necessary in doing certainkinds of work.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by means of the trowelillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, inwhicl- Figure 1 is a top or plan View of the surfacing trowel. Fig. 2 isa side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the trowel blade, sho-wingthe mechanism for tilting the blade. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of theconstruction shown in Fig. 2, except that the mechanism for tilting thetrowel blade and handle are elevated to assume a perpendicular position.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the trowel, showing the blade occupying aninclined position when the trowel is moving in a direction toward theoperator. Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation showing the trowel-handlestanding onthe same parallel pla-ne as that shown 1n Fig. 4, except thatthe trowel-blade occupies an inclined position in which the plane of theinclination is in opposition to thatshown in Fig. 4, as when the trowelis rro'vmg in a direction away from the opera or.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the blade of the trowel whichis preferably composed of a rectangular piece of thin sheet steel. Theblade 10 is provided with a rib 11 which is mounted centrally and eX-tends longitudinally so as to stiften and keep the blade in properalinement. The rib 11 is secured to the blade 10 by meansl of suitablerivets 12. Arranged midway of the ends of the blade 10 is a standard 13which is provided with a base 14, the latter being providedwith a groove15 to receive the rib 11 and thereby prevent the standard 13 fromturning on the said blade 10. The standard 13 is secured to the rib 11by means of the bolts 16. The standard 18 provides a bearing for theslotted-head 20, the latter forming a support for the handle. Theslot-ted head 20 is retained in position on the standard 13 by means ofa transverse bolt 21. The slotted-head 20 is provided with a spindle 23which enters the end of the handle 24 to permit the latter to rotate insaid spindle. The lower end of the handle 24 is provided with a pinion26 and an annularly extending fiange 27. The pinion 26 engages the teethon the curved arm 30, formed on the base 14, and the arm is recessedbelow the teeth, as at 31, and said recess is engaged by the annularflange 27 on the handle 24, the purpose of the recess and flange beingto prevent accidental displacement or separation of the pinion 26 fromthe teeth on the curved arm '30 when the two are in engagement. By meansof this construction, it will be noted that the inclination of the blade10 Patented Mar. 26, 1912. y

may be changed with respect to the position occupied by the handle whenthe latter is rotated about its longitudinal axis in either direct-ion.This movement of rotation imparted t-o the handle forces the edge of theblade, in the direction in which the trowel isl being pushed across thesurface of the cement upward, thereby allowing the heel, or oppositeedge of the blade to draw over the cement and impart the desiredsmoothness to the cement surface. This tilting of the trowel blade iswell known to those engaged in plastering or laying of cement, thisnecessary inclination of the blade being imparted to the ordinary handtrowel by the operators hand.

Tn the initial work of spreading the cement grout, to secure uniformityof thickness, portions of themass must be pushed or pulled around to thedepressions, and it may be found desirable to have the blade rigidlyfixed to the handle. To adapt the trowel for this part of the work, Iprovide means for temporarily securing the blade to the handle. This isaccomplished by pro-A viding the slotted-head 2O with an integrallyformed arm l10 which extends outward and upward alongside the outer faceof the'curved toothed-arm 30. See Fig. 3. A clamp-screw 41 passestransversely through the upper end of the arm 40 and the said screw maybe moved to firmly rest against the face of the arm 30. The clampscrew4l enables sufficientpressure to be applied to rigidly hold the handle24 and blade 10 together.

As heretofore stated, the slotted-head 20 is provided with a spindle 23which projects into the end of the handle 24. This arrangement' allowsthe handle to be rotated independently of the slotted head 20 and alsoenables the handle to be removed from the slotted-head 20 so that theparts may be nested when moving from one place to another, it beingnoted that the separation between the pinion and the teeth on the arm 30will take place when the handle is moved to assume a position indicatedby means of the dotted line extending from A to A.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A surfacing trowel comprising a blade, a toothed-arm arranged on saidblade, a han` dle supporting spindle pivotally mounted on said blade, ahandle loosely engaging said spindle, and teeth carried by said handleto engage the toothed-arm and to change the position of the latter withrespect to the handle when said handle is rotated about its longitudinalaxis.

2. A surfacing trowel comprising a blade,

a toothed-arm arranged on said blade, a handle supporting spindlepivotally mounted on said blade, a handle loosely engaging said spindle,teeth carried by said handle to engage the toothed-arm, andmeans'carried by the handle to engage the arm and prevent accidentaldisplacement of the teeth on the handle from the toothed-arm when thetwo are engaged.

3. A surfacing trowel comprising a blade, a handle attachment on saidblade, a toothedarm arranged on said blade, means to prevent saidattachment and arm from turning on said blade, a handle, and means onsaid handle loosely engaging said attachment to engage said arm andadapted to change the position of said blade with respect to the handlewhen the latter is rotated about its longitudinal axis.

4. A surfacing trowel comprising a blade, a toothed-arm arranged on saidblade, a handle supporting spindle pivotally mounted on said blade, ahandle loosely engaging said spindle, teeth carried by said handle toengage the toothed-arm to change the position of the latter with respectto the handle when said handle is rotated about its longitudinal axis,and a clamping-means for rigidly clamping the blade and handle togetherwhen desired.

5. A surfacing trowel comprising a blade, a handle attachment on saidblade, a toothedarm arranged on said blade, means to prevent saidattachment and arm from turning on said blade, a handle loosely engagingsaid handle attachment, means on said handle to engage said arm andadapted to change the position of said blade with respect to the handlewhen. the latter is rotated about its longitudinal axis, and aclamping-means for rigidly clamping the blade and handle attachmenttogether when desired.

6. A surfacing trowel comprising a blade, a handle attachment on saidblade, a toothedarm arranged on said blade, means to prevent saidattachment and arm from turning on said blade, a handle loosely engagingsaid handle attachment, means on said handle to engage said arm andadapted to change the position of said blade with respect to the handlewhen the latter is rotated about its longitudinal axis, and means on thehandle to engage the arm to prevent accidental separation of the bladeand handle.

7. A surfacing trowel comprising a blade, ahandle attachment onsaid-blade, a toothedarm arranged on said blade, means to prevent saidattachment and arm from turning on said blade, a handle loosely engagingsaid handle attachment, means on said handle to engage said arm andadapted to change the position of said blade with respect to the handlewhen the latter is rot-ated about its longitudinal axis, means on myhand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana,

` the handle to engage the arm to prevent acthis 18th day of August, A.D. one thousand oidental separation of the blade and handle, Yninehundred and eleven.

and a clamping-means for rigidly clamping JOHN B. RUNNER. [L s] theblade and handle attachment together Witnesses: Y when desired. F. W.WOERNER,

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set J. A. MINTURN.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

